Steering wheel instrument panel



NOV. 29, 1938. Q HARRls STEERING WHEEL INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed Jan. 20, I938 Zinnentor Bad 6%!71'5 s u. e m 0 n a BertC. HarrisQLansingltIichq assignor' to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a cor- 'poratlonof Delaware I Application January 20,1938, Serial No. 185,867 v r '1 Claims.- (01. mo -7s This invention relates to'fan assembly of inhoused as is the speedometer within the enlarged struments fora motor vehicle. topportion- 29 of the steering column. A water An object of the invention is to assemble the temperature gauge 43 which needs nospeciflc severalinstruments in a location fpr convenient description is located beneath the glass annulus inspection. a I at one side'of theclock and a gasoline gauge l Another objectis'to associate with;an uncon 45 is similarly located at the other side of the ventional'location of instruments a novel form clock. Electric bulbs 41 and '49' are shown in of steering wheel, the noveltybeing constituted diametrically opposite positions, these bulbs being by a transparentytorque transmitting annulus intended to be illuminated, theone in the event between the hub and the spokes and-through of oil pumpfailure and the other to indicate a which transparent annulus theseveral instrufailure of the generator serving to charge the ments are observed, a 7 battery; In Figure larejalso shown'the electric Other objects and advantages including pleascables 5| extending through the steering column ing appearance and economy in manufacture will and serving 110 p i e i um sbe understood from the following description, Above the nut l3 islanornamental closure. On the accompanying drawing; This closure may be made integral throughout Figure 1 is aside elevation ofa steering col but if "preferred itfmay be divided to form an umn and steering wheel partly'broken away to annular ring"52 and adisc '53, the latter being" illustrate theinvention) V Hrnounted, for axial reciprocation to operate a Figure 2 is'a planjview and, a horn button jmechanism indicated by numeral 55.

Figure 3 is a detail partly in section. I The arrangement presents a pleasing appear- I Numeral l is applied to the conventional steerance. The instruments are conveniently located ing post, rotationof which steers the vehicle. for observation and are not obstructed by the The post is housed within a hollow column 9 spokes of'the'wheel as too frequently happens in '25 having an enlarged'upper end i l. To the top the case of. instruments mountedon the convenof post lfis secured by a nut l3 an innerhub tional panelsl5 of a hand steering wheel. In addition to this I claim; a hub the wheel includes a rim 11, a plurality of] v 1. In a steering wheel, aninner part, an outer spokes i9, anouter hubZI and an "annuluspf "flpartfa transparentannulus connected to and transparent material such as glass 23. zThe V between saidparts through, the instrumentality 30 spokes are secured in any convenient way to of which annulus torque is transmitted between the rim and outer hub as shown on the drawing. said parts. i j

. The transparent annulus is anchored to the 2.111 combination, a steeringpost, asteering inner and outer. hubmembers byinwardly di- V wheel securedto said post, said wheel including rected lugs 25 and outwardly. directed lugs 'll as a part thereof a torque transmitting trans- 35 whereby thetorq'ue from the outer hub may parent annulus, any instrument having'indicia, be transmitted to the inner hub. said instrument being; mounted below and ob- Adjacent and beneath the steering wheel the servable through said annulus; column is enlarged as at 29 to form a housing for 3. The invention defined'by claim 2 I together 40 mounting the several instruments which are used with a steeringcolumn surroundingsaidpost, 40 in connection with the operation of the motor said instrument being housed within said column vehicle. These'inst'ruments are distributed in a beneath said annulus: i a v circle beneath the glass annulus and their indi- 4; lnqcombination, a steering column having cating members ar'e vijsible throughthe glass}, an enlarged upper end, a. steering post within The drawing'shows aspeedometer and odometer said column, a wheelysecured to said post and 45 combination at 3|. ,This instrument is operated extending; across the upper 1 end of said column, by a conventional cable 33 within a flexible hous a' plurality of instruments housed within said ing 35 extending through the steering column. enlarged endand around said post, said wheel Seen through theggla'ss annulus are. the speed including a transparent torque transmitting an-' indicating figures of the speedometer and the nulus through which said instruments maybe, 60

figures -on the wheels3l of the odometer.- The observed. 1 I pointer 39 is also. visible through the glass. 5.'The invention defined by claim 4, together Y In Figure 2 there isalsoseen a clock M. The with means extending through said column for clock is diametrically opposite the speedometer operating .said instruments.-, and Visible through the. glass annulus. It is 1 6. A steering wheel having inner hub, an 55 outer hub, a rim, a; plurality of spokes connecting with a steering post-connected to said wheel, .a said rim and outer hub and a transparent torque steering column surrounding said post, said transmitting annulus connected to said outer mechanisms being housed'between said column hub and inner hub whereby mechanisms beneath and post and beneath said annulus. 5 said annulus maybe observed therethrough. V a r '1. The invention defined by claim 6, together BERT C. HARRIS. 

